Since the beginning of Gijs Bakker’s career in 1965, Bakker has sought to free himself from the heavy tradition of the jewellery field, seeking independence both artistically and economically. Without clients and commissions, Bakker could experiment, giving full attention to the concept, and become radical. Bakker was able to reach this freedom by having two directions in his career – experimental jewellery and industrial design. The natural outcome was a conceptual approach. Bakker developed his own criteria for his work, asking: what is the meaning?, what does it say in the political and social context of today?, and, who is it for? The limitations within craft, being oriented towards material and technique, do not align with Bakker’s attitude. For Bakker, it is always the concept which dictates the material and the technique to visualize the concept in the most ideal way, based on his subjective opinion, of course. www.deuxpoissons.com